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Senate leaders this week have been working through potential amendments to clear the way to bring the comprehensive FAA bill to floor. Senior lawmakers discussed a tight window—possibly just a few days—for debate on the bill and have said that they may be willing to bring it up with short notice. Senate leaders are now eying the week of July 30 as a possible time frame, with the hopes of getting it done before the Senate breaks for a truncated August recess.
The discussions give new hope that the chamber may now move on the bill; aviation organizations were beginning to fear that the FAA may be poised for another extension of its authorization with a number of obstacles facing passage of a long-term bill. These include election-year politics that provide little incentive for passage of major bills, as well as many other Senate priorities, such as the Supreme Court nomination.
But Senate Commerce Committee chairman John Thune (R-South Dakota) has remained optimistic about the possibility for action, and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida) told Washington insider publication Politico that as long as “we don’t have people trying to attach controversial amendments to it, we should be able to get it through because the basic FAA bill is now all agreed to.”
Senate leaders late last month were working through potential amendments to clear the way to bring the comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill to the floor in the late July/early August time frame. Senior lawmakers had discussed a tight window—possibly just a few days—for debate on the bill on the Senate floor and have said that they may be willing to bring it up with short notice. Senate leaders have indicated a desire to get it done before the Senate breaks for a truncated August recess.
The discussions give new hope that the chamber may now move on the bill; aviation organizations were beginning to fear that the FAA may be poised for another extension of its authorization with a number of obstacles facing passage of a long-term bill.
The National Air Transportation Association had warned members that potential roadblocks could “stall progress” for the FAA bill. “A backlog of judicial nominations, numerous appropriations bills, and various other pieces of legislation, like water resources and immigration, are vying for floor time, pushing…hope of finding time for an FAA bill farther away from reality,” the association had said.
Other associations, including the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and the Aerospace Industries Association, in June had appealed to Senate lawmakers to move on the bill quickly.
Senate Commerce Committee chairman John Thune (R-South Dakota) has remained optimistic about its passage before the September 30 deadline. That optimism now appears to be taking root on the Democrat side. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida) told Washington insider publication Politico that as long as “we don’t have people trying to attach controversial amendments to it, we should be able to get it through because the basic FAA bill is now all agreed to.”
A short debate window provides little opportunity for many riders. Even so, with few major bills moving through Capitol Hill, the FAA reauthorization could be a prime target for other priorities. If Congress fails to act on the long-term bill before the end of the year, the reauthorization process must begin again next year with new bills drafted.